Finding Strength in Weakness: God’s Grace When You Feel Like Giving Up - iBelieve Truth: A Devotional for Women - September 29, 2025

Audio By Carbonatix

“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9, NIV). 

Have you ever had one of those weeks where you want to throw in the towel, but it’s only Tuesday? Yeah, me too. It doesn’t always happen, but last week was that week for me. By 8 pm Tuesday, I was exhausted. My heart ached as I stood in the shower, attempting to process. Anxious thoughts flooded my lungs, and despair wrapped around my mind. The more the water droplets fell, the worse I felt. “I can’t keep going,” I told the Lord. 

As I exited the shower and onto the closet floor, Oso, my goldendoodle, wagged his tail. I told him I was going to shower and then go cry on the floor. So, here he was, my emotional support pup, to sit by my side. It was as if he knew I didn’t feel strong enough and needed someone, anyone’s presence, physically by my side. While he’s just a dog, I believe the Lord sent him to me in that moment. To remind me that I wasn’t alone but that I don’t always need to be strong. 

For years, I’ve been the friend who asks how others are doing. I try to be strong and put up a front, not one of insincerity but one that can handle their problems if they’re suffering. But even the strongest of us need someone to support us, too. This is why Christ asks us to rely on His strength, not our own. 

2 Corinthians 12 is a passage I’ve studied for decades now. I love the story of Paul’s thorn in the flesh because I can identify with it. While I wish that he and I wouldn’t suffer, it comforts me to know that someone has been where I am. It also reminds me that God doesn’t ask us to be strong, but He does ask us to come to Him in our struggles. 

If you’re feeling weak, dejected, and beaten up by the week before it even begins, please know that weakness is not a failure, but rather space for Christ’s power to shine through. That might sound cliché to you, but it’s Gospel truth. When we don’t and aren’t strong enough, God works through our weaknesses. This is also why Romans 8:28 tells us that God works all things for our good and His glory. We will experience hardships, persecutions, mockery, deception, and pain, but He is with us through it all. And when we’re on that last leg, He gives us His supernatural strength and power to see us through. 

I don’t know how to explain it to you, but the Spirit speaks to the Father in groanings that we can’t comprehend. And when this happens, I believe we’re renewed. This week is a new week. I’m still tired from last week. But as I’ve sought the Lord repeatedly, today I arise with hope and strength. I’m still navigating uncertainty and pain, but my burdens are no longer hidden from Him. He sees me, and this I know. That gives me the power I need to carry on.

What would it look like to admit your weakness to God this week? Try journaling your feelings to the Lord in prayer. Do a mind dump and let it all pour out. Then, ask God to help you trade your self-sufficiency for surrender and His grace. 

Prayer

Dear God, when I don’t have enough strength or faith to carry on, help me look to you. As I rest on your shoulder, wipe away my tears. As I split open my heart before you, put it back together. Be my power in weakness today and give me the hope I need to carry on. Remind me that there is power in weakness and I don’t need to be (or pretend to be) strong all the time. You fight for me, through me, and within me. I entrust all my battles to you, knowing you will see me through and care about what I’m experiencing. I trust, praise, and thank you, Lord. Amen. 

Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/Andrew Merry

Amber Ginter is a teacher-turned-author who loves Jesus, her husband Ben, and granola. Growing up Amber looked for faith and mental health resources and found none. Today, she offers hope for young Christians struggling with mental illness that goes beyond simply reading your Bible and praying more. Because you can love Jesus and still suffer from anxiety. You can download her top faith and mental health resources for free to help navigate books, podcasts, videos, and influencers from a faith lens perspective. Visit her website at amberginter.com.

Related Resource: Soft Words for Hard Days: A Conversation with Aundi Kolber

Some days feel heavy. Some moments leave us wondering how to keep going. If you’ve ever longed for encouragement amid life’s hardest moments, I have a special episode of The Love Offering for you. This week, I’m joined by therapist and bestselling author Aundi Kolber to discuss her latest book, Take What You Need: Soft Words for Hard Days. This beautiful collection of quotes, scriptures, prayers, and gentle exercises is designed to be a balm for your most tender places—a reminder that you are never alone on your journey to healing.

In our conversation, we explore:
✨ How to hold space for yourself and others in difficult seasons
✨ The power of compassionate words when life feels overwhelming
✨ Practical ways to embrace healing and take one more step forward

If you like what you hear, be sure to subscribe to The Love Offering on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!